The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1887-07-14

Then pray to God to take the scales OF
your eyes. Look that way-try to look
that way. His voice comes down to you
this day-comes down to the blindest, to
the deafest soul, saying:
Look unto me, all We ends of the earth and
be We saved, for am God. and there is none
else.
Proclamation Of universal emancipa-
ton for all slaves. Proclamation of uni
versal amnesty for all rebels. Ahasuerus
gathered the Babylonlsh mobiles to his
table; George !. entertainel the lords of
England at banquet; Napoleon Ill well
coined the Gar of Russia and the Sultan
OF Turkey to his feast; the EN- peror of
Germany was glad to have our Minister,
George Bancroft, sit down with him at
his table; but tell me, We who know most
OF the worlds history, what other King
ever asked the abandoned, and the for
lorn, aud the wretched, and the outcast,
to come and sit down beside hima Oh,
wonderful invitatioua You can take it to-
day, and stand at the head of the darkest
alley in this city, and say:
Comet Clothes for your rags. salve for your
sores. athrone for your eternal regning.
A Christ that talks like that and acts
like that and pardons like that-do you
wonder that Stephen stood looking at
himi hope to spend eternity doing the
same thing. l must see him. l must
look upon that face once ciouded with my
sin, but now radiant with my pardon.
want to touch that hand that
knocked of my shackles. want to hear
that voice which pronounced my deliver
ance. Behold him, little children, for if
you live to three score years and ten you
will see none so fair. Behold him, We
aged ones, for he only can shine through
the dimness OF our failing eyesight. Be-
hold him, earth Behold him, Heaven.
What moment when all the nations of
the saved shall gather around Christi
All faces that way. ALI thrones that
way, gazing on Jesus.
His worth If all the nations kn:T,
Sure the whole earth would love Him, too
/ pass on now, and look at Stephen
stoned. The world has always wanted to
get rid of good men. Their very life is
an assault upon wickedness. Out with
Stephen through the gates of the city.
Down with him over the precipices. Let
every man come and drop stone upon
his head. But these men did not so much
kill Stephen as they killed themselves.
Every stone rebounded upon them.
While these murderers were trans
fixed by the scorn of all good
men, Stephen lives in the admira-
ton OF all Christendom. Stephen
stoned, but Stephen alive So all good
men must be pelted. All who will live
cody In Christ Jesus must suffer perse-
cution. 1t is no eulogy of man to say
that every body likes him. Show me one
who is doing all his duty to State or
Church, and will show you scores of men
who utterly abhor him.
II all men speak well of you it is be-
cause you are either laggard or dolt.
IL steamer makes q rapid progress
through the waves the water will boil and
foam all around it. Brave soldiers Of
Jesus Christ will hear the carbine's click.
When see man with voice, and money.
and influence all on the right side, and
some caricature him, and some sheer at
him, and some denounce him, and men
who pretend to be actuated by right mo-
tlves conspire to cripple him, to cast him
out, to destroy him, I say: stephen
stonedn
When see man in some great moral
or religious form battling against groy-
shops, exposing wickedness in high
places, BY active means trying to purify
the church and better the worlds estate,
ana IND that the newspapers anathe mat
lie MIN, and men, even good men, oppose
nlm and denounce him, becauss though he
does good. he does not do 1t in their wav.
say: stephen stou ed.n
The word, with in finite spite, took after
John Frederick Oberlin, and Robert Moi
lat and Paul and Stephen of the text.
But you notice, my friends. that while
they assaulted him they did not succeed
really In killing him. You may assault
good man. but you can not kill him. On
the day OF his death Stephen spoke be-
lore few people in the Sanhedrim: this
Sabbath morning he addresses all Chris.
tendon. Paul the apostle stood on Mars
Hill addressing handful of philosophers.
who knew not so much about science
as molern schoolgirl. To-day he talks
to all the millions Of Christendom about
the wonders Of justification and the
giorles OF resurrection. John Wesley
was howled down by the mob to whom he
preached, and they threw bricks at him,
ana they denounced him, and they jostled
MIN, and they spat upon him, and yet to-
day, IN all lands, he is admitted TO be the
great father OF Methodism. Booths bull
let vacated the Presidential chair, but
from that spot Of coagulated blood on the
moor In the box of Ford's Theater there
W suO now iii0 81 QablOn.
stephen stoned, but Stephen alive.
Pass on now and see Stephen in his
dying prayer. His first thought was not
how the stones hurt his head, nor what
became OF his body. His first thought
was about his spirit.
Lord Jesus, receive my spirit
The murderer standing On the tran.
door. the black cap being drawn over his
mead before the execution, may grimace
about the future; but you and have no
shame in confessing some anxiety about
where we are going to come out. You are
not all body. There is within YOU q soul.
see it CLEAN from your eyes to-day. and
! see it irridlating your countenance.
sometimes am abashed before an audi |
ence, not because am under your phys-
ical eyesight, but because I realize the |
truth that stand before so many immor-
tai spirits. The probability is that your |
body viii at last find a. sculpture in |
some OF the cemeteries that surround |
this city. There IS no doubs but that |
your obsequies will be decent and |
res pectful, and you will be able to |
pillow your head under the maple, or the |
Norway spruce, or the cypress. or the |
olossoming fire but thla spirit abous
which stephen prayed, what direction |
Will that takes What guide will escort itg /
w hat gate will nyaar RI raco;,,n ;xa MI.